Photos print from laserprinter

Hi guys

I have a lot of small scale, beautifully colored photos with a super low resolution quality and i want to eksperiment printing them on non-traditional photo paper, so i think what i might need is a laserprinter with a super varied capacity. I need a printer that can print on all kinds of different textures, sizes, tones, colours, black and white. Even print on an old worn out paper of some kind.

Now, i don't really know anything about printers and what they each do. How do you navigate to look among the different types? are the printer simply reading the size, weight of the paper, is that the only parameter to follow?

Now, this might seem somewhat hillbillyish to some of you, but i do hope someone can clarify just something about something. I visited my local electronic store and turned to them the same questions and while the guy said "yep, this is the one" it really did seem that we were completety misunderstanding each other.

Hope i am adressing these questions in the right place here, thanks you guys!

 

Bwahaha , I just spit my tea everywhere... hooohoho-heh ... hehe... heh.... hahahahaha.

ok.. now for a... serious.. heh.. response. Wait. No.. bwahahaha.

my teeeaaa

 

Anyone besides crazy tea guy?

 

What do you mean "super low resolution quality"?

Laser printers are best with 300 dpi input minimum. 200dpi can work sometimes. Lower and you'll see ugly pixelated output. The laser process is not the most forgiving of pixelated input.

 

Laser printers that cost less than $50,000 usually have a small 1" pickup wheel to pull the sheet of paper from the tray and another small 1" wheel to keep other sheets from following. Paper that is even slightly bent or irregular proves a huge hassle to feed and will create many jams and endless frustration.

I've spent hours struggling with paper feeding and doubling or jamming because of static from a first pass. A tiny corner bend from shipping damage will also create a very unpleasant time trying to run otherwise smooth regular stock. Textured stock will create more issues with both print quality, transfer, fusing, and maintenance issues.

 

thanks xfacor printing. I did think it was too good to be true somehow. So to experiment like i want, i have to go for some fancy custom made stuff maybe. What about inkjet printers, can you get one that takes loads of different paper with less frustation?

 

What size and volume do you want to print?

Most small desktop inkjet printers won't load difficult, high texture, irregular, or very thick stock well either.

If you get one with a straight paper path you have a chance. Most are not built for difficult paper handling, or at least not much of it.

Have you looked at a flatbed inkjet or direct to substrate printer?

I have no experience with printing on highly varied stock -- all my printing has been on stock that is as uniform and regular as possible! (no bends, curls, nicks, humidity problems, etc. etc. etc.)

 

Just looked up the flatbet inkjet printer, that looks really interesting, thanks man.

The size is going to be no bigger than a postcard or even smaller, so very small in general. It's all about very little photos that i want to incorporate into collages, so i want to eksperiment with them on different textures and tones of paper - and do it myself. buuut maybe i'd better get it done in some printshop if it's too darn complicated